Be energy friendly this summer
Stay cool. Save the environment.
Staff and students are being asked to continue their efforts to save energy, as the weather in Oxford gets warmer this summer.
The University community’s collective efforts during the 2022-23 academic year resulted in a 5% reduction in Scope 1 carbon emissions (emissions directly emitted by the University), which is equivalent to savings of ~1,260 tCO2e.
Now, the University has updated its energy-saving measures for the summer in a bid to reduce energy use and environmental impacts. The changes include cooling buildings to 26°C, increasing reliance on natural ventilation, changing cooling timings and reviewing weekend settings.
Play your part
Everyone can play their part in reducing energy use this summer. In particular you can take following steps:
- Breeze in, sun out: Let the breeze in during the cooler hours* and keep the sun out by closing blinds to rooms in direct sunlight
- Drink up: Remember to stay hydrated. You may need to drink up to three litres of water on a very hot day
- Dress for the weather: Loose fitting clothing and light fabrics help air flow to your body
- Cool to 26: We’re cooling buildings to 26°C** to save energy. If you can change local controls, don’t go below this level. Remember, setting a lower temperature doesn’t cool the space quicker.
- Switch off: All appliances emit heat. Turn them off at the socket when not in use. If you can access local controls, turn off the air conditioning when you leave the room. Turn off your computer and screen at the end of the working day, and switch to ‘hibernate’ if you’re away from your desk.
* Ground floor and easy-to-reach windows must not be left open when rooms are not occupied. Speak to your building manager if you require out-of-hours ventilation
**Labs requiring regulated environments will continue to be cooled to required temperatures
Departments, staff and students working together can make a real difference.
What you can do
- Share the message - view our campaign assets here.
- See our guidance for facility managers in this Q&A document.
Do you work in a laboratory?
There are additional actions you can take - for example, shutting your fume hood sash when you’re not using it and switching it off where possible. This could save up to £275 per year on each of 1,000 fume cupboards. Read more about making your lab more efficient on our Sustainable laboratories page.
